List of high commissioners of Australia to New Zealand
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The high commissioner of Australia to New Zealand is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia to New Zealand in Wellington. The high commissioner has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently Harinder Sidhu since 31 March 2022, who also has responsibility for Tokelau in the Realm of New Zealand, as well as the Pitcairn Islands, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Accreditation was previously held for the Cook Islands and Niue, states in free association as part of the Realm of New Zealand, which now have resident Australian high commissions since March 2020 and August 2020, respectively.
High Commissioner of Australia to New Zealand | |
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Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
Style | Her Excellency |
Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
Residence | Vogel House, Lower Hutt (1966–1976) 15 Butavas Street, Khandallah (since 1976) |
Seat | DIC Building, Lambton Quay (1934–1947) Government Life Insurance Building (1947–1964) ICI House, Molesworth Street (1964–1972) 72 Hobson Street, Thorndon (since 1972) |
Nominator | Prime Minister of Australia |
Appointer | Governor General of Australia |
Inaugural holder | Thomas d'Alton |
Formation | 15 December 1943 |
Website | Australian High Commission, New Zealand |
The posting is one of Australia's oldest, with the first high commissioner appointed in 1943, although it dates much earlier to 1934 when an Australian Government Trade Commissioner was appointed to Wellington.[1] There is also a Consulate-General and Trade Commission in Auckland maintained by Austrade since 1955.